Riot Beer Katsunuma Base

Riot Beer Katsunuma Base is where RIOT BEER, which originally brewed in Soshigaya-Okura in Setagaya, moved its brewing base to Katsunuma in Yamanashi.

That's what makes it interesting. They set up a brewery in the holy land of wine, which shows their bold attitude. The owner, Fugo Kamiji, studied in Washington State in the U.S. and discovered craft beer there.

Not at all. He ran a home-visit care and nursing company. He also has a care manager qualification. So he made a pretty dramatic career change into beer brewing from a completely different field.

What's more, he's a huge punk rock fan, and the brewery name "RIOT" comes from The Clash's "White Riot." The beer names are punk too: "Salvation IPA" has American citrus hops with a malty body, and "Darklands Stout" is an oatmeal stout with a smooth mouthfeel.

You know your stuff. Lexicon Devil is a Hazy IPA. They also have "Andrew," a Scotch ale with caramel-like aromas and plenty of malt character. Kamiji likes traditional English and Scottish styles, and the brewery's defining trait is that it is "malt-forward."

It's a brewing style where the sweetness and toastiness of the malt come through first when you take a sip. In today's craft beer scene, hop-heavy IPAs are the norm, but RIOT deliberately emphasizes the malt backbone. "Rooster Amber Ale," for example, uses tea as an adjunct, creating an interesting finish where the astringency of the tea follows the beer's bitterness.